Island



(No Model.)

J. I'. THAYER.

` Armar einen,

JAMES F. THAYER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

FASTENER..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,895, dated August 25, 1885` Application filed June 26, 1885.

(No model.)

ing drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention is an improvement upon the fastener shown and described in my application for United States LettersIatent filed May 7, 1885, Serial No. .l64,625.

cach having a penetrating prong or prongs, 1

and joined by a top or connecting portion, which constitutes a part of the folded edge of the doubled stock from which the fastener is c'ut. In the production of that form of fastener the legs or prongs of one side or half must necessarily be next to or touch the corresponding legs of the other half, because the die, in cutting the fastener from the doubled stock, forces the legs together,as readily under to throw the legs apart. in thus striking the fastener from doubled stock the die has a tendency, by reason of the force required, to flatten out or render thinner the legs of that half of the fastener which constil l l l i l l l fastener, as stated before, the meeting edges will not come directly over the ridge in the die of the instrument, whereby the legs would not be properly separated and clinched. To overcome these objections I provide my present fastener, which is cut from a single thickness of sheet metal, and is then bent at its middle to form equal sides or halves, each l having a penetrating prong or prongs, and

adapted to permit the shanlceye of a button to be passed over a prong of one half and the i corresponding prong of the other half, substantially as hereinafter more fully pointed As described in said application, that fastenerconsists in the main of two sides orhalves,

aggerated and enlarged, of the fastener ot' which my present invention is an improvement, to show clearly the slight bend in its l. legs as induced by the forming or cutting die. stood, and it continues in such condition, cxl cept in so far as the spiing inthe metal tends l I have found that tuted a portion ofthe upper layer of the doubled stock, and also tends to bend or their meeting edges at their extremities are carried to one side ofthe true line of said g Under these conditions the The blank a is struck from the sheet-metal strip A by a suitable die, and is provided with penetrating-prongs b at each end,and is then bent at its middle to provide equal sides or halves o, as shown.

The fastener, when completed, may have a form or other suitable form in edge view, and the legs may be spread apart, as desired;

but in every .form of my improved fastener slightly curve said legs to one side, so that the dividing ridge or wall between the two diecavities, but the fasteners must also be -placed in the instrument in the same'relative position-that is to say, if the first fastener be vplaced in the instrument with its slightly-conthe legs of one side must be sufiiciently near the corresponding legs of the other side so as to permit the shankeye of a button to be passed over a leg of one side and its corresponding leg ot' the other side, and thus enable the button-eye to encircle both legs, and

thence to be passed on to the main portion, as shown in Fig. et. As shown, the legs of one half of the fastener are farthest removed from the corresponding legs of the other hall" at their extremities.

NVith the fastener in the shape substantially as shown I am not only enabled to use a sccnring-instrumcnt of much less nicety and accurateness ot' parts, but the fasteners may be indiiferently placed in said instrument, while, important to add, the points ot' the prongs may be Swaged in the act of bending IOO the blank at its middle in a be]ldingvniacliine. Further, the legs are ot' equal thickness `throughout, andvtbey may be clinched into the material toward each other, as shown iu Fig. 4, instead of away from each other, as in the case of the fastener alluded to.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a fastener like that shown in the pat-ent to C. H. Eggleston, dated February 12, 1884, N o. 293,233, and I do not make claim to that or a similar fastener having a neck or connecting portion to receive a button, as described, or wherein the prongs are arranged so as to prevent'. the shank-eye of a button from being passed over a prong of each half or side ofthe fastener in the manner herein described.

I am also aware of United States Letters Patent granted to F. A. Smith, Jr.,'dated January 29, 1884, and numbered 292,516, and United States Letters Patent granted to Edward D. Steele, dated April 21, 1885, and numbered 316,301, and make no claim to anything therein shown or described.

What I claim is- 1. As an improved article of manufacture,

l l l a fastener consisting, essentially, of two sides or halves, each provided with a penetrating prong or prongs, the prongs of one side being farthest removed from those of the other side at their extremities, as described.

2. A fastener consisting, essentially, of two sides or halves joined at one end, and having penetrating-prongs at their other ends, the prongs of one half diverging from hee] to point from those of the other half, substantially as set forth.

3. A fastener composed of a single strip of sheet metal, having penetrating-prongs at each end', and a bend at its center to provide two diverging integral sides, the prongs of one side being apart from each other, as specilied, and opposite corresponding prongs ot' the other side, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed m y naine to this speeiication in the presence of two subseribin g witnesses.

JAMES F. THAYER.

Witnesses G-Eo. W. PRENTICE, CHARLES GREENE. 

